


Hospital Stay

by NYWCgirl



Series: Comfortember 2020 [24]
Category: MacGyver (TV 2016)
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Panic Attacks, Side Effects, Team as Family, adverse effect to medication, smoke inhalation, taking care of each other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-24
Updated: 2020-11-24
Packaged: 2021-03-10 01:20:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,451
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27695468
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NYWCgirl/pseuds/NYWCgirl
Summary: Mac has an adverse effect from his medication.
Series: Comfortember 2020 [24]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1995160
Comments: 6
Kudos: 31
Collections: Comfortember 2020, Hurt/Comfort Bingo - Round 11





	Hospital Stay

**Author's Note:**

> this fic was written for comfortember prompt nr. 24 and fills the ‘Panic attacks’ (wild card) square on my H/C Bingo card

‘Team Bravo, did you locate the assets?’

‘Yes, we have located them and will attempt an extraction.’

‘Attempt? Just get them out of there.’

‘With all due respect, the warehouse is on fire.’

‘Just get them out.’

‘Yes, ma’am.’

Matty and Riley can hear the team breech the building, calling out.’

‘Help! We’re over here!’

‘It’s Jack’s voice.’

‘Oh man, it is good to see you guys. No, take Mac first.’

It worries Matty that she hasn´t heard from Mac and Jack also doesn´t sound too great. But the TAC team found them. A couple of minutes later the leader of Bravo team confirms that both men are extracted and on their way to medical.

* * *

‘How are you, Jack?’

‘I’m fine Matty, it’s Mac who isn´t OK.’

She can see Jack is also not OK, but refrains from commenting on it. Just the fact that he keeps the nasal cannula in, tells her enough.

‘What happened? Your comms frizzed out.’

Just as Jack wants to talk, there is hustle and bustle in the hallway and the Phoenix medical team enters the room with Mac. IV’s and oxygen are re-attached and Mac is settled.

‘How is he?’

‘Is he going to be OK?’

‘Yes, he suffers from smoke inhalation and we will be monitoring him closely, but nothing to serious.’

‘Is he still unconscious?’

‘No, he is just sleeping, he was awake earlier.’

Jack nods, it eases some of his anxiety.

‘Well Jack, we will talk later, rest.’

‘Yeah, see you.’

Matty leaves the room and so does the medical staff once they do a last vital check. Jack closes his eyes, it was quite the day and he is exhausted.

* * *

Jack wakes, not sure what woke him until he hears Mac coughing next to him. It sounds painful.

‘Hey Mac, wake up.’

Mac slowly blinks, opening his eyes and smiling when he locates Jack, ‘I…’ he stops talking, grimacing in pain.

‘I think you shouldn’t talk, just yet, hoss. You suffered from smoke inhalation.’

Mac nods, indicating he understood but soon his eyes are fluttering again. He doesn´t wake when they come and change out their IV-bags.

Jack wakes when a nurse enters with a tray with their dinner. Jack isn´t really hungry, but he knows that the medical staff will harass him if he doesn´t eat.

‘Hey Mac, wake up, kid, dinner is here.’

Mac wakes blinking up at Jack. Moving causes him to cough.

‘Do you want some water?’

Jack gets out of bed when Mac’s coughing doesn´t improve, for all he can tell, it only gets worse and Mac doesn’t seem to be able to catch his breath. He pushes the nurse call button and a staff member immediately enters. The nurse introduces himself as Vince, immediately raising Mac’s bed, and handing Mac a cup of water, explaining that drinking water will loosen up any mucus in his chest.

‘I’m going to ask the doctor to change your medication and I want you to wear this pulse ox.’

He clips the device on Mac’s finger. The nurse leaves to get the doctor when Mac’s breathing gets a wheezing quality.

‘You heard Vince, breathe in and out Mac, relax and concentrate on your breathing.’

Vince returns with doc Carl who performs a couple of quick tests.

‘OK Mac, I think you have bronchospasms, so I will give you some Albuterol, it is a bronchodilator. It will relax the muscles around your airway so they open up and you will be able to breathe more easily.’

Mac nods between coughs, he closes his eyes and it is clear he is falling asleep again so Jack suspects the doc gave Mac a mild sedative. Once Mac is fast asleep, he finishes his dinner.

* * *

‘Jack?’

Jack is immediately awake and starts. Mac is bend over him and shaking him.

‘What are you doing out of bed?’

Mac’s breathing is way too fast and wheezing again.

‘Mac, calm down. I’ll call a nurse, you need another round of medication.’

‘No, we need to get out of here.’ Mac wheezes.

‘What’s wrong, Mac?’

The kid looks pale and starts coughing again.

‘Mac, please put the oxygen back on.’

Jack pushes his call button and Amanda comes in, immediately calking up to Mac.

‘Mac, why don´t we go back to bed?’

Mac studies her but lets himself be lead back to his bed. She puts the oxygen mask back on his face and Jack can tell it is taking all of Mac’s will power not to pull it off his face.

‘I’m going to give you another dose of Albuterol to help you breathing.’

Mac’s eyes are already drooping before she can administer the medication.

* * *

‘Jack… I’m… telling… you. Something… is up.’ Mac wheezes.

‘Mac, settle down, I’m here, we’re at the Phoenix, you are safe.’

‘No… we are… not.’

Mac is sweating and trembling.

‘Kid, come here.’

Jack pulls Mac closer and he can feel the rapid, pounding heart rate.

‘Kid, calm down, what’s wrong?’

‘Nothing… I… have… trouble… breathing.’ He pants.

‘That is what the nurses and doctors are for. Why don´t you push the call button?’

Mac looks with wide eyes at Jack.

‘Take me… home… please.’

‘Mac, listen to yourself, you’re severely out of breath. You can´t go home.’

Since Mac doesn´t push the button, he does. The nurse enters and takes Mac´s vitals.

‘What happened that your heart rate is this high? Are you in pain?’

Mac shakes his head, ‘just out.. of breath.’

‘I can tell. The doctor said you can have more Albuterol. Tomorrow we have a pulmonologist coming in to check on your bronchospasms.’

Mac nods. The shortness of breath leaves him exhausted. The nurse pushes the medication and Mac takes a nap.

* * *

Jack wakes , finding Mac’s bed empty.

‘Mac?’

He jumps out of bed and checks the bathroom, but it is empty, not good. Not good at all. He walks up to the doctor’s office, but there is nobody, so he continues his search, leaving medical. Where can he be? He uses one of the phones on the wall to call Riley.

‘Riley, Mac ran, can you check the cameras?’

Doc Carl enters the hallway, ‘what are you doing here Jack?’

‘Mac left, have you seen him?’

‘No.’

Doc Carl pushes a tag that is hanging from his doctor´s coat and the building goes into a silent lock down.

‘This way he can´t leave the building anymore.’

‘I wouldn´t be too sure doc, it is Mac we are talking about.’

Doc Carl´s phone rings.

‘Hi Riley, have you found Mac? OK, thank you.’

‘Where is he?’

‘He is making his way to the parking.’

‘Tell everybody to stand down, Jack and I are on our way.’

Both men quickly make their way to the underground parking.

‘Mac?’

Jack’s senses are honed in on Mac and it doesn´t take long for Jack to point to a car.

‘Mac? It’s me Jack. What are you doing?’

‘Jack? Coughing can be heard next to a car,

‘Mac, why are you here?’

‘I … need to … go home…’

Jack is worried because of how out of breath Mac is. Doc Carl wants to come closer but Jack waves him back.

‘Why do you want to go home, Mac?’

Mac’s breathing is too fast and it sounds like he is having a panic attack.

‘My nurse… is trying… to kill me.’

‘What are you talking about Mac? You’re not making sense, kid.’

‘Jack… take… me home. Please.’

‘Mac, you are sick, you need help. Doc Carl is here with me. Let us help you.’

‘No Jack…’ Mac goes into a coughing fit that doesn´t appear to stop.

‘Doc, do something.’

Doc Carl steps forward and together with Jack, he catches Mac when his knees give out.

‘Doc!’

‘Calm down Jack, Mac just fainted because of a panic attack.’

The medical team already comes running with a gurney. Mac is lifted and taken back to medical.

‘Mac never had panic attacks, why would he now?’

‘I need to check something, but I think they are a side effect of the Albuterol. But like I said, let me check.’

* * *

‘So Mac, you did have an adverse effect due to the Albuterol. It was what caused the panic attacks. We changed your medication so we really hope you are now on the mend. I made a note in your medical file.’

‘Thanks doc. I feel better already.’

‘The breathing therapist will visit later in the day, so let’s see how that goes, OK? If you can keep your sats up, I am comfortable in discharging you.’

‘Perfect.’


End file.
